Walking an Endless Path Pt. 03

"Take one more step, and I call out the order to extinguish the lives of the rest of your children!" Tyreen barked with ice in her tone.

Her lieutenant helped her to her feet and braced her when her broken leg wouldn't support her. "Do you understand now? Nothing you did in the past matters. You will be the progenitor of a new race of Kel-Fahr and have no real say in the matter. You are just a machine that produces eggs and activates them."

Joe was having trouble focusing on her words as all he could see was the tiny broken body of his... daughter on the floor where Tyreen dropped her.

"The senior councilors and I have sacrificed much to ensure the survival of the Assembly. The existence of a single planet of barbaric primitives is meaningless in context. Only that imbecile Rensley couldn't see the greater good. The Assembly needs the firm hand of the Kel-Fahr to guide and nurture them."

Joe looked down at the console beneath the window. After the glass broke, the gravity controls gradually returned to normal as a safety protocol. Not quickly enough to save the technician, but Joe could move freely now. He needed something to distract the Kel-Fahr.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the lieutenant pull a gun from behind his back. Joe flung his hand up between them to block the shot, and the amplified arc returned to strike the face of the Lieutenant, burning his eyes out with a sickening pop. He was dead before his dropped gun hit the floor.

Tyreen cried out angrily and threw herself to the side when she saw the gun, so she only caught the edge of the shock. She went down in a pile against the wall.

Joe pulled himself through the window. He stripped the gown from the dead Kel-Fahr and wrapped it around his waist like a rough kilt. He looked over into the angry eyes of Tyreen.

"You still don't understand, but I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise with your limited intellect," Tyreen muttered.

"Enlighten me," Joe said in her mind, and she trembled in disgust.

"The plan I devised years before you were born, flawlessly orchestrated using the Ello to do the actual work... it's a success. The other Senior council members were equally involved and will ensure the plan is carried out. And regardless of anything you do today, life on Earth will be extinguished. Just the fact that you successfully bonded with a Fahrchar signed the death warrant for your planet. You are dangerous to the future of the Assembly, the peace and harmony we have brought to these races. We will see to it."

Joe stared at her and saw she was speaking the truth. The senior council would follow through, and Earth would die. They probably had contingency plans to launch their Mediators through the Gates to begin the invasion. The scale of this evil was too much for Joe, and his overstrained muscles rebelled. He dropped to sit on the floor next to the old Kel-Fahr.

She smiled, and a look of satisfaction crossed her pale features. "Ah, now you understand."

Joe reached out his mind and found his children. They were close by. He opened the connection, and their minds swirled around his. Tears came to his eyes as he shared that one of them had been murdered. They didn't understand why their sister had been killed, and their confusion and sorrow threatened to overwhelm him. He pulled them close and shared with them what was happening. The communication, being direct mind to mind, was instantaneous. They wailed in fear. They didn't want to die when they'd just been born! They cried out to him, and his heart filled with resolve to protect them.

He opened his eyes and saw the frustration on Tyreen's face as she tried to force a syringe into his arm. He slapped it away and grabbed her face between his hands, pulling her close so he could look deeply into her eyes.

"I hate you for your plan that took my birth parents from me. I hate you for the changes you made in me that keep me separate from everyone I love. But most of all, I hate you for what you're making me do now!" Joe yelled in the old Kel-Fahr's face. Her eyes filled with terror as he plunged his mind into hers and saw her links to the other senior councilors.

Joe's mind flew out to connect to them through the open Gates, and they screamed as the alien presence tore into the most private areas of their minds and pulled up their links to the senior military leaders. His mind moved on, locking the connections open and freezing the trembling Kel-Fahr in their catatonic states.

From senior officers, Joe branched lower and lower until he felt the connections opening faster and faster, and he could no longer see the individuals. The links blurred past his awareness.

Unlike when he'd reached across space to touch a single Kel-Fahr mind, now it felt like their minds were being drawn to him, racing toward the undeniable pull of his singularity. With the added mass, he felt himself returning to his body, bringing the torrent of minds with him. The numbers grew exponentially. He was no longer aware of the individuals racing to join his mind but instead felt the collective terror of all of them.

Then it was done. There was no one left to link to.

So many minds! Thousands? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? A quiet, tiny part of his brain somehow tracked this and slipped a number before him. He shied away from it.

His children were there as well. He felt their love and acceptance and was suddenly terrified of hurting them in what he had to do. He was so tired, and the load he was carrying was too much. How could he do this?

The music started quietly. One, then more of his children began singing a tune he recognized, but he couldn't recall where. When the others took up the song and its richness took shape, he cried aloud as its source suddenly came to him. It was the song of his daughter. The brief life that ended in the hands of Tyreen.

Once more, he focused his hate on the woman whose trembling face was still between his hands. He had to withstand the urge to crush her head as she was the link through which all these Kel-Fahr minds were joined. He shared the song of the dead child through the link until every mind trembled with the beautiful notes. He would let them hear the wonder of the life that was so callously cut short.

But not for long.

Chapter 30

Lieutenant Grey paced on the deck of the Kel-Fahr personnel carrier, glaring at Hack and Slash. His men sat next to their gear, running last-minute checks on weapons that needed no further reviews. They met two new Tik. Shiny, silver, and identical. They were too young to have developed any character like the older Tik had. These units did have the new Gate technology in them and would open their Gate when they received word.

They also contained tech that allowed them to talk. If only they'd shut up!

"This is most exciting!"

"And an honor! A great honor!"

"To be on such a mission mere weeks after our Instantiation!"

"Hack and Slash have such extremely intense experiences. To join them and the fighting men of Earth on a rescue mission will give us experiences like theirs, too!"

"That's right! How fortunate we are!"

"Thank you so much for selecting us!"

"Yes, thank you!"

Sitting beside them, Bennett ground his teeth as he listened to the two excited Tik. He'd passed his endurance. "Hey! Mac and Tosh! Shut the fuck up! Geezus!"

The two silver Tik went still and silent for a moment, turned to look at Bennett, then looked at each other. Metal rope-like tentacles came out, and the two shook hands as they'd witnessed the humans do when greeting.

"I am Mac!"

"I am Tosh!"

"Thank you so much for the names, Mr. Bennett!"

Bennett gritted his teeth and ran his hands through this short hair like he wanted to pull it out.

Hack suddenly chirped sharply, and the two newbie Tiks shot into the air and away, heading towards the back field.

Slash was at the controls again, lifted the flying platform quickly, and moved them after the other Tik.

Grey stepped up to Bennett. "Mac and Tosh?"

"Sorry, sir. They were driving me crazy, and suddenly, I thought of the goofy gophers cartoons I used to watch as a kid. So damn polite and overly positive!"

Grey shook his head at the man, then looked to the others. "I think this means something is happening, and we're going through. I've been told this will be the first time humans have passed through these new Gates. The old ones are not pleasant to go through. These are supposed to be better. Stay alert! We have no idea what we'll see on the other side."

Stoic expressions and sharp eyes looked back at him. He nodded.

He could see the two silver Tik hovering in the air above the field ahead. There was a flash between them then the carrier was racing at another identical carrier. Slash didn't try to make any evasive moves but kept their course. The SEAL team members jumped to their feet but realized at the last second the SEAL team on the oncoming carrier was them. It was a perfect mirror! It was mind-bending to crash through an image of yourself and feel nothing but a light tingle.

Then they looked up at the largest flying vessel they had ever seen.

The SEAL team was disciplined well enough not to speak aloud, but their expressions spoke volumes. The psychological effect of the Blade of Eshen was well proven and worked on every race exposed to it, SEAL training notwithstanding.

Mac and Tosh joined them, having closed the Gate. They settled down next to the Lieutenant.

The carrier cruised along at a fast clip hundreds of feet above the surface of a garden-like planet and twice that distance under the ship.

"What's happening? What signaled us to come here?"

"They've all stopped moving," Mac said.

"The Kel-Fahr, that is. Every single one we've focused on," explained Tosh.

"All of them?" Grey asked.

"We cannot say for certain if all of them are affected, but certainly every one we can see. Apparently, this is entirely novel behavior for Kel-Fahr," the first Tik replied.

"What are we doing now?"

"Hack is attempting to locate Joseph by the Tik manipulator segment he wears. Slash is monitoring the ship's communication to see if they will contact us or have even noticed us.

There was a rumble from above, and they saw the ship's skin ripple as the gravity fields holding the ship aloft sagged momentarily.

"The Blade of Eshen was damaged far more than we first thought. With the Kel-Fahr unable to complete their repairs, the ship's structural integrity is quickly failing. We have less time than we thought. We must move now," Mac called out. Hack chirped an affirmative, and the platform shot upwards towards a large opening in the ship. The SEAL team readied their weapons.

-=-

Joe let the song fade in the vast network he was holding in the brutal grip of his mind. The effort was too much, but still, he held on. They had to be stopped. He only knew one way.

He recalled the cold, ancient evil of the Fahrchar, which attempted to crush him from within his mind. He extinguished it with the fires of his rage then. Now, these monsters were going to feel that heat.

Before he did, he turned to his link to his children and thanked them for the song of their sister. Now, he asked them to sing their own songs as loudly as they could so he could keep them separate from what he was about to do. They were tired, but they agreed. Soon, he heard their sweet notes, and his heart took strength from that.

Grimly, he returned his attention to Tyreen. Drool spilled from her slack mouth, but her eyes were filled with desperation.

"Don't-don't do this. It's... barbaric!" she wheezed.

"As barbaric as executing the lives of every creature on Earth and all those other red-flagged planets?" he asked hotly.

"Those lives aren't important. Can't you see that?" she gasped as her voice cracked.

The enormity of the Fahrchar arrogance enraged him. It was time.

"EVERY SINGLE LIFE YOU EXTINGUISHED WAS IMPORTANT! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?" Joe screamed as his rage flared and built to an impossible size. He plunged his mind into the center of the collective and felt their terror surrounding him. He envisioned the icy nature of the Fahrchar, then exploded outwards, engulfing them all in the inferno, driving the heat higher. He felt his strength draining as he pushed harder. He was so tired!

While he did this, he listened to the songs of his children. They made it possible for him to continue, but he didn't know how long he could.

-=-

The carrier shot into the opening of the landing bay, and the team saw the carnage and damage left behind from Joe's arrival. The flames were out, but the scorching was plainly visible, and the huge rip in the structure's roof was evidence of a colossal explosion. The carrier settled down by a set of doors that led further into the ship. The SEAL team deployed, and Grey yelled out to the Tik.

"We need to send a team to disable to ship so they cannot follow us after we rescue Joe. Where is the ship's gravity controlled from?"

Hack chirped at Mac, and a burst of static sounded.

Mac moved to the Lieutenant. "If you would like to assign some men to this task, I will guide them to where your thermonuclear explosive device will destroy the Blade of Eshen's flight control."

Bennett looked at the Lieutenant wide-eyed, but Grey just shook his head. It figured the tin cans would recognize the bomb they were carrying.

Suddenly, two Kel-Fahr burst through the doors screaming. Guns were raised, but the keening Kel-Fahr were unarmed, clutching at their heads, and paid them no attention at all. They seemed to be blind to their surroundings.

"Geezus! That's creepy! What's happening to them," a SEAL called Rodriguez asked.

"Joseph is happening to them," Mac replied.

"Meaning Joseph is likely disrupting their mental network. This was theory number two we hypothesized might be the Ello's plan of attack," Tosh explained.

Grey pointed to Rodriguez, Halsten, and Masters. Mac and the three SEALs moved off with the Tik guiding them. Halsten was wearing a bulky backpack, and the other two covered the hall with their weapons.

Hack and Slash were busy chirping at each other then Slash pointed to the doorway on the other side of the bay.

"Joseph has been found. The signal from the Tik manipulator segment is weakening. This means Joseph's own energy levels are very low. We must hurry!" Tosh said.

The remaining SEALs moved out and followed the Tik across the bay. They caught movement further down the bay and saw two Mediator suits moving erratically.

"We have two potential hostiles," Bennett said.

"They don't seem to be aware of us. Leave them," Grey said.

They exited the landing bay and passed through two massively doored rooms that might have served as an airlock had the ship been designed for space. Then, they were in a long corridor. They could see a number of the aliens in various states of mobility. The team ran down the hall, guns at the ready, trying to keep up with the Tik, who were restraining themselves from using their full speed for the sake of the SEAL team.

Most of the Kel-Fahr they encountered were dead, but some shuffled, stumbled, banged their heads against the walls, and a couple twitched as they lay prone on the floor. The ones capable of making sounds were screaming the same painful tone. The eerie sound of the Kel-Fahr echoed hollowly in the hallway. It got under the skin of the humans and made their fingers twitch on their weapons.

They reached another large doorway and found their way blocked by two Mediators, locked in a kind of combat as the Kel-Fahr inside flailed their limbs.

"Can we go around?" Grey asked Tosh. The Tik chirped at Hack, and a negative chirp returned.

"No, we don't believe Joseph will last much longer. His segment is sending out danger signals," Tosh replied.

With a nod from the Lieutenant, Bennett stepped forward and put a bullet through the faceplates of the two Kel-Fahr soldiers.

The horrible keening screams throughout the ship suddenly stopped.

The silence was worse.

-=-

Joe's head rocked back as he felt the deaths of the two Kel-Fahr nearby. The violence of the action sapped him of the strength he was pooling to make his final push. The connections he'd held in a death grip dissolved like ashes, and he was suddenly back in his body, lying on the floor of the small room with Tyreen. Her eyes were open, glaring at him. Drool ran freely down her chin. He barely had the energy to remain conscious but noticed something in her eyes.

She wasn't there. Something feral was instead.

"Tyreen?" he whispered.

"RRRAAAAAAHHHHH," she screamed as she leapt on him. She seemed oblivious to her broken leg as her old fists struck his face with surprising strength. It was manic, adrenaline-fueled rage, out of control and directed at him. Spittle sprayed everywhere, and Joe struggled to raise his arms to block her. Her crazed eyes locked onto the gun her lieutenant had dropped, and she scrambled with surprising speed over to get it.

Joe's arms fell to the floor as his mind surrendered to the inevitable. Incredibly, Tyreen pushed herself up the wall and stood with her one working leg as she brought the gun around to point at his face. Her hands were by no means steady, but at this range and how desperately weak he was, the shot's energy would probably kill them both. Joe didn't want to die, but he had nothing left.

Tyreen's expression suddenly changed, and she made some odd gurgling noises. He heard nothing in his mind. She was silenced.

Rage and madness returned to her eyes, and the gun steadied. There was a loud crack, and Joe's body jumped in reaction.

Tyreen slid down the wall, leaving a streak of blood staining the surface.

Joe watched in shock as she dropped the gun and gurgled some more before she sagged completely, the life leaving her open eyes.

Bennett walked cautiously into the room with his weapon ready. "Joe? How you doin', buddy?"

He was so incredibly grateful to see the sailor he began to cry, but he had no energy for that, so his eyes began to close instead.

"Medic!"

Another SEAL stepped into the room. His name... Joe recalled it. Fisher, their medic. "Was he shot? Are there any wounds?" the man asked.

"I don't see any."

Shots were fired further back in the hallway. Lieutenant Grey stepped into the doorway. "Some of the natives are still alive and are coming out of their stupor in a very pissed state. Suicidally pissed! They are charging at us with whatever weapons they can find. We need to leave. What's his state?"

Tosh pushed up behind the Lieutenant. "Hack tells me the segment Joseph is wearing is reporting Joseph has depleted his energy stores below the survival level. He needs to feed now!"

Bennett began checking his pockets, and Fisher found some energy gels. He popped them in Joe's mouth. "Swallow those, big guy," he saw Bennett pull out a chocolate bar, "Bennett has a treat for you. A chocolate bar!"

"I was saving it for later!" Bennett said, and the Lieutenant leaned in the door.

"Bennett! Give him the fucking chocolate bar!" Grey yelled.

Joe was swallowing the gels and began to convulse. The three men looked at him in alarm until they saw him laughing weakly.

"I have to introduce you two to my police friends in LA," Joe whispered as Fisher fed him some more gels.

More gunfire sounded from the hall. Bennett unwrapped the chocolate bar and handed it to Fisher, who got Joe to bite off half and chew it a little before swallowing. Once the last piece was in, Fisher stood and left the small room. The lieutenant followed. Hack and Slash came in, wrapped their tentacles around Joe's arms, and lifted him between them.

"The children!" Joe croaked. He couldn't feel them in his mind anymore, which panicked him.